Business

Since late spring, when Findlay Subaru announced a major expansion of its dealership and facilities, until now, with the recent grand opening of the new 24,000-square-foot sales and service facilities, the Prescott dealership has become “…the highest value Subaru dealer in Central and Northern Arizona,” said Christian Robinson, director of internet sales and marketing. He noted that includes Flagstaff and Show Low. 

Proof of that success was perhaps documented during the Nov. 17 Grand Opening, when sales initiated that day resulted in an estimated 15 cars being sold in just a 48-hour period. A few days later, the dealership opening was formally dedicated with a ribbon cutting attended by community leaders.  

Subaru General Manager Dave “Mac” Macfarlane told Quad Cities Business News with a laugh, “I guess the folks who came to the grand opening liked all the free food and beverages we served. They stuck around and bought cars.” He says he had to order and reorder large food trays of sandwiches – twice. He also ended up ordering 24 large pizzas, along with chips, cookies, snacks and beverages to feed the estimated 2,000 people who visited the dealership. 

Macfarlane stressed that Subaru dedicates a portion of sales from each Subaru sold to the Prescott Teen Center. “We mean it when we say we give back to the community. It truly is an extension of the Subaru international motto: ‘Share the Love.’” 

Throughout the day, Subaru staff members pulled tickets for raffle prizes, which included Bluetooth speakers, hydration packs, steel sports bottles and similar items. 

The Grand Prize included a 27-inch Salsa mountain bicycle, a Thule bike rack, a one-person kayak, a kayak roof rack and a Yeti cooler.  

Those prizes went to Prescott residents Rebecca and Luther Kroxberger and their children, Sawyer, Lyla and Kora. QCBN 

By Ray Newton, QCBN      

Photo by Ray Newton:      

#3Dozens of community and county leaders as well as several Findlay Auto Group employees gathered Dec. 10, for the official Ribbon Cutting welcoming a new Subaru dealership into the official Findlay Auto Group family in Prescott.   

Arizona is facing a significant teacher shortage, according to Expect More Arizona, with more than 2,000 unfilled positions in the past academic year alone. Local business leaders say the lack of teachers is having a detrimental impact in local classrooms and, thus, the workforce.  

“In the Flagstaff region, we all want a diverse economy and diversity among thriving industries. After all, that will benefit all of our residents,” said Mike Thomas, vice president of operations with Kinney Construction Services, Inc. “The impact that teachers have on that vision can’t be overestimated. We need great teachers to help create a strong workforce, which is vital to attracting new business to the area and to supporting existing businesses.” 

Expect More Arizona, a statewide non-profit organization, along with LAUNCH Flagstaff and Tucson Values Teachers, presented the documentary, “Teaching in Arizona” recently at Flagstaff Medical Center. The film tells the stories of three public school teachers and offers a number of reasons why teachers leave the classroom, including pay, working conditions and a perceived lack of respect and public support. It also explores opportunities for improving the profession, teacher recruitment and retention.   

“Education is a community endeavor,” said Thomas, who served in a panel discussion following the documentary. “It should be a partnership among a variety of entities, including local businesses. Company executives should ask themselves, ‘What can we do?’” 

Thomas believes businesses can help by supporting existing programs and partnerships that strengthen education, such as the United Way. He cited the Scientists in the Classroom Program at Sinagua Middle School, in which he participates, as “a great way to get kids excited about learning and about potential career pathways.”  

United Way of Northern Arizona President Steve Peru moderated the panel, which included Patti Pastor, M.Ed, who leads the Flagstaff High School Culinary & CTE Department, and Killip School Principal Joe Gutierrez.  

“If we want to be known as a state and a community that supports education, then we need to make some changes to our system to portray that image,” Thomas said. “I believe funding is one piece of that equation, but it needs to be bolstered by a good support structure for the teachers and faculty.” 

Thomas currently serves as a board member for Flagstaff STEM City and The Pantry. He and his wife have two school-aged children.  

By Bonnie Stevens

Photo caption: More than 100 people attended the public presentation, which included a showing of the documentary “Teaching in Arizona,” and a panel discussion. 

Courtesy photo 

Ground has been broken, construction begun, new technologically sophisticated equipment ordered, and new job announcements prepared – all at Printpack Inc., one of the largest employers in the Quad Cities area.  

The economic impact of the manufacturing company’s expansion is estimated to be greater than $40 million. 

Lonnie McKinley, the Prescott Valley-based plant manager and long-time Printpack executive, said increased manufacturing demands on the current facilities “…have exceeded our plant’s ability to keep up with customer orders. Printpack chairman and CEO Jimmy Love said the company is committed to providing the associates in Prescott Valley with the best technology and facilities available, so expansion was approved last fall. 

Heavy equipment has scraped dirt and started the foundation for the 40,000-square-foot addition to the west side of the existing 100,000-square-foot plant. McKinley said the builder is using local labor and subcontractors as much as possible. The facility is located at 6800 E. Second Street, just south of Hwy 69. 

The new construction will include remodeling existing office and administrative space and adding thousands of square feet for new printing equipment, laminating and finishing machinery. Equipment will be state-of-the-art, with capability for printing, laminating and finishing of paper, film and foil for food packing.  

Projected completion date for the expansion project is March or April 2019.  

McKinley, whose experience in the business began in Oregon in 1981, said industry growth is creating significant job opportunities. “We’re always in the market for new associates. We want people who are interested in solid careers working for a privately held, family-owned company. Our expansion will provide added capacity for an additional 30 jobs over the next two or three years.” 

Printpack currently employs 130 people, including administrative and associate staff personnel.  

“We’ve been fortunate. Once our associates learn their job skills, they have the opportunity to advance. Many senior leaders in the company have worked their way through the ranks and have illustrious careers,” said McKinley. “For example, here in Prescott Valley, most of the leadership team started at the entry level and worked their way up. Marcus Fouss, now our performance systems manager, has been here 26 years, and he started at the bottom.”  

Fouss was proud to note that his 21-year-old son recently accepted a job with Printpack.  

Printpack’s senior associates provide on-the-job training for new employees. “We also work with Yavapai College and its graduates, especially the electronic technicians. Our Human Resource staff members really enjoy seeing them.” McKinley said.  

McKinley also made sure to highlight the salary levels at Printpack. “Our associates start at $16 [per hour] and get good benefit packages and 401(k) plans. They can advance, and many do move into positions to earn $25 to $30 an hour. We have a full range of positions open, from production to industrial technology, graphics, quality control, maintenance. We’re always actively seeking female employees, too. We just identified a woman electronic technician we’re bringing on board through our intern program. We’d like to find more.” 

Associates have options, too, for when they work. The plant operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with the exception of Thanksgiving and Christmas.  

Trucks routinely are backed up into the shipping bay to haul large rolls of packaging to vendors around the United States.  

The Prescott Valley plant manufactures millions of packaging products that go to Southern Arizona and the West Coast, where they then are used for packaging fresh produce and salad products. “But we also print food packages for dozens of other national major fresh produce vendors and stores,” said McKinley. 

Security measures at Printpack facilities are strict. “Because the products we manufacture are very scientifically engineered and tested, we’re always aware of protecting what we do. Most people don’t even think about the packaging that surrounds their produce. They don’t realize that sack around their salad has been carefully designed to sustain just the right amount of moisture so the product won’t spoil.”   

Responding to a question about its use of plastic in light of growing worldwide environmental concerns about plastic contamination, McKinley said, “Printpack leads the industry in developing packaging products designed to enhance product shelf life. All are intended to reduce the carbon footprint through less food waste and packaging required. All our facilities have goals of zero landfill and are accountable to improved sustainability metrics.” 

Printpack customers include Frito Lay, Starbucks, Dole and Fresh Express, along with grocery chains and national cereal, coffee, pet food and snack food companies.  

At the corporate level, annual revenues are estimated to be approaching $2 billion. Printpack headquarters are in Atlanta, Georgia; however, the company has sites in seven other states, with Arizona being its furthest west location. Printpack also has plants in Mexico and China.  

The Prescott Valley facility has been here since 1991, when it first began producing custom flexible packaging for a variety of national and international firms. The company has twice been named Arizona Manufacturer of the Year. QCBN 

By Ray Newton, QCBN 

Photo by Ray Newton 

If you have not tried mountain biking lately, technological advances and beefy tires, combined with world-class trails, challenging knobs and hills, stunning views, Southwestern sunsets and colorful characters take this outdoor adventure to a whole new mesa in the red rock country.
    The Enchantment Resort, tucked into Boynton Canyon in west Sedona with access to more than 300 miles of Coconino National Forest trails, has been building its mountain bike program for the past eight years.

“Enchantment Resort believes the best way to take in the beauty of Sedona’s red rocks is on the trails,” said Ashley Sheen, corporate director of communications at Enchantment Group. “With ride-in, ride-out access from the resort, Enchantment’s mountain biking program allows for all guests, regardless of skill level, to actively experience the canyon and discover the captivating red rock scenery of Sedona and the unparalleled terrain that bring countless riders to the region each year.”

The management team is so passionate about introducing guests to this mountain biking mecca, it recently donated $25,000 to the Sedona Red Rock Trail Fund, which will be used by the Red Rock Ranger District to build and maintain the Western Gateway trail system. That is 27 more miles expected to be completed in the next three years. In the meantime, it is doubtful recreationists will feel as though they are lacking in paths to follow or levels to explore.

“Sedona has some of the best high-desert trail riding in the world, and because the area’s network of single-track trails is so expansive and varied, paths are rarely overcrowded,” said Sheen.

Getting the Nod

Take Cockscomb Trail, for example. Enchantment’s Lead Mountain Bike Guide George Miraval, known to locals and trails riders as “Nod” or “Gnarly Old Dude,” says this one is for beginners. A few minutes of steep dips, bouldered washes and slippery sand and you might ask, “Beginners of what?!” Nod offers a knowing smile and reminds you to breathe, a good idea considering you are at an elevation of 4,500 feet.

He will also suggest you get comfortable with the gears. “It’s like in life,” he said. “Most people want to make it harder than it needs to be.” He will encourage you to “trust” the technology, allow the bike to “float” over the rocks, and experience how the frame “bends” with the landscape.

Nod and Enchantment’s mountain biking team have more than 80 years of combined experience riding, instructing, trail building and leading rides in Sedona, says Sheen. “Each has incredible knowledge of the region and is able to adapt each ride to a variety of skill levels, ensuring every rider feels comfortably challenged, but safe and confident.”

On an afternoon of mountain biking with Nod, you may wonder if you signed up for a recreational outing or a soulful retreat with a Zen master in spandex. He says his goal is for guests to have “their best outdoor adventure experience ever.” However, most of his mountain biking directions sound oddly metaphorical for life lessons, Mr. Miyagi style, as he stresses the importance of focus, balance and “finding your Buddha,” that sweet spot where you have clicked into the precise gear for trail conditions.

Floating with Technology

As Cockscomb intersects with Dawa, Nod points out a 300-year-old Cyprus tree and shaggy junipers with berries that make gin. That is the moment you realize you are enjoying the ride. You actually are trusting the technology, maybe even floating over logs and rocks, and perhaps trading in your fear of jumping cholla and prickly pear on hairpin turns for a new appreciation for the unmatched raw beauty of Sedona.

That is also about the time Nod gives you a choice: there are more roller coaster dips, straight-aways and a few climbs ahead or there is the other option – a trail that offers “the kind of views that most people come to Sedona for.”

Hmmm. That sounds like a trick question. And, like in a horror movie, you know which way you should go when there is a fork in the road. Instead, you hear yourself enthusiastically shouting, “THE VIEWS!” because, after all, you signed up for an adventure, right?

As you ascend the Mescal Trail, Nod lets you in on a mountain biking secret. Her name is “Grandma.” Grandma is a left-hand gear that drops you into low low with one click. “On some of these hills, you’re going to need Grandma,” he warns.

As Nod pedals ahead, you can hear him call out in the distance for Grandma. Quickly, you discover just how much you need Grandma. You climb and climb and climb, wondering if there is also a Great Grandma gear somewhere. You are so distracted by mentally and physically pushing yourself up the hill, you almost do not notice Nod waiting for you by a sign with two directions: Difficult and Extreme.

What???!!! As if answering the unspoken terror-filled question, he gestures, “Just concentrate on this much of the trail at a time. Make your shoulders, your grip and your head line up like an arrow. Don’t look at the drama. And don’t let your freak out of the box!”

Within minutes, you are making like an arrow, but your freak is pounding at the door.

Viewing the Reward

Then, suddenly, the pinyon/juniper forest opens up to an amphitheater of smooth, curved, massive red rock. It is breathtaking. Nod is right. This is the view for which visitors come to Sedona. Majestic formations appear suspended in the distance. Late afternoon sunlight hops from Thunder Mountain to Sugarloaf Mountain to Courthouse Butte. Dusty pinks, layers of lavender and sandy rusts drape across the landscape. A full lush palette of green rises up from cracks and crevices.

For a moment, time stands still. You drink in the view. Then, Nod motions upward to where the “experts” ride. That is when the narrow ledge that spans the natural amphitheater starts to look manageable.

You ride confidently across this expansive, crescent-moonlike formation above the forest floor. As you descend the hilltop, dropping over ledges, bouncing across rocks and finessing the tight turns, you realize you are leaning in to the trail, you are one with the machine, you have zero hesitation. You are a mountain biker!

Again, Nod was right. You faced fears you did not know you had. You achieved a new level of skill. You speak of “the views” and “the trails” with convincing intimacy. You trust technology. You also trust Enchantment Resort has a hot tub waiting for you! QCBN

By Bonnie Stevens, QCBN

The Enchantment offers private and group mountain biking lessons and excursions for all skill levels year-round. The program is reserved for resort guests, with paid and complimentary bike options. Mountain biking-focused packages are also available, which include luxury accommodations, Pivot bike rentals, a Camelbak water bottle and $100 activity credit card. For more information, visit enchantmentresort.com.

Hoping to meet the upcoming Christmas sales season demands, Ashley Furniture Industries recently announced plans to open an Ashley HomeStore in the currently vacant multi-story building near the northwest corner of the Prescott Gateway Mall.

The multi-story, 42,000-square-foot building previously had been occupied by The Roomstore, but was vacated when The Roomstore filed for bankruptcy three years ago.

Ashley Furniture HomeStores Senior Vice President Kurt Haines told Quad Cities Business News that he hopes Ashley HomeStore will open sometime in early to mid-November.

“We want to meet the Christmas season shopping demand. We’re already working on a significant remodel of the building,” he said. “We’ll have 25 to 30 professional employees staffing the store.”

Haines, a 32-year employee, is based in California. He said Ashley is “…making a significant investment in Prescott. The company has long wanted to have a store in Central Arizona.”

Remodeling began in late August. Dan Wallner from Colton, California, serves as the construction manager for Ashley. He is working with Mike Freet, Arizona Commercial facilities manager in Prescott, and Zach Cagley, of SO Commercial Contracting, also of Prescott.

Wallner said they are hoping to have remodeling and renovation done in time so the store can be stocked and ready for holiday shoppers.
Store hours will be from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, except for Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving, Haines said.

The Prescott site will be the 13th Ashley HomeStore in Arizona. The largest furniture chain in the state, Ashley has five stores in the Phoenix area, two in Tucson and one each in Bullhead City, Lake Havasu City, Lakeside, Thatcher and Yuma.

Ashley HomeStores ranks as the largest furniture chain in North America, with more than 650 stores. With corporate offices in Arcadia, Wisconsin, and under the leadership of President and CEO Todd Wanek, the company is international in scope, with manufacturing and distributing businesses in China, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia and several other countries.

Ashley Furniture also is the world’s largest furniture manufacturer and is considered a major player in almost every furniture product category.

Haines indicated several job opportunities would be available in the near future and said a web link soon will be set up for online job applications. In the meantime, those interested can call 623-209-2713 in Phoenix for further information about opportunities with the Prescott Ashley HomeStore. QCBN

By Ray Newton, QCBN

The newest of the popular Wildflower Bread Company’s restaurants will have its grand opening Tuesday, Sept. 11, at its new location at the Prescott Gateway Mall on Hwy 69.

It is replacing the smaller one being closed in the interior of the mall.

Manager Makayla Clay said she and her staff are excited about showing off the contemporary facility with its large modern kitchen, expanded seating and huge parking lot.

“I can promise existing customers and the new ones we expect that our service will be great and the food even better,” she said.

To accommodate anticipated larger crowds, Clay and her team are hiring another 10 or so employees, bringing staff numbers up to approximately 40 full-time workers.

The new restaurant will seat more than 150 people. The south-facing patio area has heaters, so that even in the winter, customers can sit outside.

Wildflower hours are from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Food selections are varied throughout the day.

New items added to the menu, Clay said, include wine and draft beer.

“What we’re really pleased with is that 80 percent of the people who come here are repeat customers. It’s not unusual that we have anywhere from 225 to 300 guests daily. We must be doing something right,” she said with a smile.

Apparently so. One of those guests is Prescott resident Brenda Favier. “Everything I’ve ever had at Wildflower is great. I’m so glad the new restaurant has more seating and better parking, for almost every time I have been there, the place is busy.”

“One thing I order every single time I go is chopped salad,” said Lynn Penner. “The little bits of crunchy dried corn are like healthy croutons. Also, Wildflower is great about catering. Groups I work with have used them many times for lunches. The food is always plentiful and fresh.”

Clay said the kitchen will be several times larger than the one they currently occupy. “Given the number of meals we fix daily, combined with all the bread and pastries we bake, we really value having more working space.”

She says more than 200 loaves of bread are baked daily.

Leftovers Do Not Go to Waste

Leftover bread or other unused food items are donated to local organizations such as the Prescott Area Women’s Shelter (PAWS), churches and other charitable groups. “That’s part of our local mission – to give back to the community that supports us.”

Only three Wildflower restaurants are outside the Phoenix area: one in Flagstaff, one in Sedona and one in Prescott. QCBN

 By Ray Newton, QCBN